I loved contra-dancing. At first, I was a little nervous because I'm not very good at dancing and my first partner was an experienced contra-dancer. The fact that I was dancing with a complete stranger did not help my case either, especially with the whole staring-into-each-others'-eyes-the-whole-time thing. When the music started, I looked at everything except my partner and made myself dizzy. So the next set I looked at my partner's ear and let him lead me, stumbling, through the moves of the dance. Even though the dance was repetitive, it took me a while to settle into the movements because they were so different from what I was used to in more modern dance. However, pretty soon I realized no one really cared that I was horrible so I stopped apologizing to my partners and started to relax a little. As soon as I relaxed, I got better and fell into the rhythm of the dance. As the dancing continued throughout the night, I danced mostly with older, more experienced contra-dancers who were all incredibly kind and helpful. Once, after partially causing a train wreck at the end of one of the lines, one of the regular contra-dance-goers assured me "it doesn't matter if you make a mistake, we just want everyone to be involved," solidifying the participatory nature of the event. At the end of each dance, another stranger would come up to me, ask me to dance, and introduce himself. None of them minded telling me which way to go, and in fact seemed glad to teach me what they knew about contra-dancing; and I was glad to learn. The kindness of these complete strangers gave me a sense of communitas; I knew that everyone was rooting for everyone else even if some dancers, like myself, had to be dragged along like luggage. It was not competitive at all either. Because the dance was choreographed by the caller, it was easy to follow along and often partners and neighbors would tell-or pull-you to the right position. The more experienced dancers sometimes added in spins or twirls of their own but it seemed more to give themselves a challenge than to showcase their talent. Contra-dancing was very different from the dancing I am accustomed to. Usually I avoid dancing if I can because I feel intimidated. Everyone seems to be competing and I feel judged for my lack of skill. Contra-dancing was the complete opposite which is one of the reasons I loved it so much.
I would definitely attend this event again. I felt very welcome and comfortable in spite of my lack of skill and everyone was extremely helpful. All the regular contra-dancers were delighted to have so many new people and went out of their way to dance with us and invite us to come again. I also was able to experience flow while dancing; after a while I wasn't just going through the motions, I was dancing to the music. I stayed almost to the end of the event, not really caring what time it was because I was having so much fun dancing with people I didn't even know. It was also a pretty good work-out.
This sort of participatory experience is great for getting people out of their comfort zone and involved. It is not competitive so everyone is helping everyone else and a sense of communitas encompasses everyone. There is no distinction between artist and audience, just everyone participating and contributing to the experience. In fact, if everyone had not been involved (even us beginners) it certainly would not have been as successful. Because of these values of participatory music, the community is brought closer together and forms a cohort. Common values as well as differences and diversity can be shared and respected through the cohort; everyone is equal within the democracy of participatory music. The primary goal of any participatory music-making experience is social bonding and the contra-dancing definitely succeeded in this goal.
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Monday, August 12, 2013
The Punks are Alright!
After watching the movie "The Punks are Alright!" I have a knew perspective on the youth cultures in Brazil and Indonesia. Having grown up in a safe, middle class suburban neighborhood, I never really understood the pull of the punk style/movement. The fashion and the music don't really appeal to me. However, the movie did a fantastic job of portraying the different realities of life in a developing country.
In Brazil, the drug cartels run the cities. Children are recruited from a young age to sell drugs rather than go to school. There are no real prospects of a "future" as we define it in America. Brazilian children rarely grow up to be doctors or lawyers like American children expect to do. Often youths are killed on the streets and if they do reach adulthood, they will most likely be controlled by the cartels. The drug wars fought in the streets of Brazil consume the existence of many Brazilians.
Life in Indonesia is similarly bleak. The documentary shared the story of Dolly, a poor factory worker living in Indonesia. Dolly spends two hours each morning commuting to work via four buses and a significant amount of walking. His work is hard, his boss verbally abuses him, and he makes only $2.65 each day. There is a huge discrepancy between the rich and the poor; there are extravagant hotels with people starving on the streets only a few hundred yards away. In both countries, the government is corrupt and unable to care for its people and crime is rampant.
The artists interviewed in the documentary react to this bleak reality with the punk movement. The artists use punk as a way to go against society and create space for new ideas counter to the entrenched ways of thinking. What we know as developing countries are essentially the places where capitalism has failed; first world countries use the third world countries for cheap labor and resources, resulting in the developing countries being controlled by the West and not being able to care for their own people. The punk movement was started to protest capitalism. The artists in the documentary even expand the definition of punk to envelop all Do It Yourself efforts. The Blind Pigs artist in Brazil describes the efforts of a community to start a school for its children. The community built the school and runs it in an effort to provide hope and a possibility of a future for the children. The children teach themselves English and familiarize themselves with how to use computers.
This movie changed my perception of punk because in these developing countries, punk becomes a source of hope; people taking initiative to improve their own lives because their governments cannot help them. For some people like Dolly, punk is all they have. Dolly describes punk as "the remedy to my sickness."
I can relate to the artists frustration with religion. Both the singer in Brazil and the drummer in Indonesia said they would prefer not to talk about religion. Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world and Brazil has the largest Catholic population in the world, however, both singers shy away from talking about religion because of the religious extremism in their countries. I am a fairly religious person but I try not to discuss religion if I can avoid it because some of the same extremism and judgement exists even in America. Henrike described the baptism of his son and spoke of how some older women made the cross when they saw him. His response really resonated with me because he said "That's not what it's about." Everyone should be welcome and accepted in a Church or Temple or Mosque in spite of any differences they may have. I don't understand how people can start wars in the name of religion. Islam, Judaism, and Christianity all share a common history, some of the prophets are even the same. With such fundamental similarities as these, I am frustrated that people cannot find respect and tolerance for other people.
I also have deep respect for these artists because of their DIY attitude. They see a problem in their community so they come up with a solution and carry it out. In such violent and daunting environments it is easy to give up just trying to find a way to survive. However, these artists are forcing society to listen to them and are fighting back to improve their quality of life.
Because I live in a capitalist country, what I do can effect the global community. For example, by buying DIY products in my community rather than buying products from large corporations, and if a large number of people boycott large corporations, they can be forced to produce locally rather than overseas where there are no labor laws, resulting in third world countries being forced to look inwardly and care for their own people rather than Western countries. But even more than that, being aware and educating other people about the issues around the world can help start up movements to fix the issues whether through economic or political means. In addition, learning about other cultures and gaining respect for them can help third world countries to gain self-respect and embrace their own traditions rather than trying to westernize. The artists in the film share my view that DIY movements can have a significant impact on a community, and if allowed to grow, an entire society.
In Brazil, the drug cartels run the cities. Children are recruited from a young age to sell drugs rather than go to school. There are no real prospects of a "future" as we define it in America. Brazilian children rarely grow up to be doctors or lawyers like American children expect to do. Often youths are killed on the streets and if they do reach adulthood, they will most likely be controlled by the cartels. The drug wars fought in the streets of Brazil consume the existence of many Brazilians.
Life in Indonesia is similarly bleak. The documentary shared the story of Dolly, a poor factory worker living in Indonesia. Dolly spends two hours each morning commuting to work via four buses and a significant amount of walking. His work is hard, his boss verbally abuses him, and he makes only $2.65 each day. There is a huge discrepancy between the rich and the poor; there are extravagant hotels with people starving on the streets only a few hundred yards away. In both countries, the government is corrupt and unable to care for its people and crime is rampant.
The artists interviewed in the documentary react to this bleak reality with the punk movement. The artists use punk as a way to go against society and create space for new ideas counter to the entrenched ways of thinking. What we know as developing countries are essentially the places where capitalism has failed; first world countries use the third world countries for cheap labor and resources, resulting in the developing countries being controlled by the West and not being able to care for their own people. The punk movement was started to protest capitalism. The artists in the documentary even expand the definition of punk to envelop all Do It Yourself efforts. The Blind Pigs artist in Brazil describes the efforts of a community to start a school for its children. The community built the school and runs it in an effort to provide hope and a possibility of a future for the children. The children teach themselves English and familiarize themselves with how to use computers.
This movie changed my perception of punk because in these developing countries, punk becomes a source of hope; people taking initiative to improve their own lives because their governments cannot help them. For some people like Dolly, punk is all they have. Dolly describes punk as "the remedy to my sickness."
I can relate to the artists frustration with religion. Both the singer in Brazil and the drummer in Indonesia said they would prefer not to talk about religion. Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world and Brazil has the largest Catholic population in the world, however, both singers shy away from talking about religion because of the religious extremism in their countries. I am a fairly religious person but I try not to discuss religion if I can avoid it because some of the same extremism and judgement exists even in America. Henrike described the baptism of his son and spoke of how some older women made the cross when they saw him. His response really resonated with me because he said "That's not what it's about." Everyone should be welcome and accepted in a Church or Temple or Mosque in spite of any differences they may have. I don't understand how people can start wars in the name of religion. Islam, Judaism, and Christianity all share a common history, some of the prophets are even the same. With such fundamental similarities as these, I am frustrated that people cannot find respect and tolerance for other people.
I also have deep respect for these artists because of their DIY attitude. They see a problem in their community so they come up with a solution and carry it out. In such violent and daunting environments it is easy to give up just trying to find a way to survive. However, these artists are forcing society to listen to them and are fighting back to improve their quality of life.
Because I live in a capitalist country, what I do can effect the global community. For example, by buying DIY products in my community rather than buying products from large corporations, and if a large number of people boycott large corporations, they can be forced to produce locally rather than overseas where there are no labor laws, resulting in third world countries being forced to look inwardly and care for their own people rather than Western countries. But even more than that, being aware and educating other people about the issues around the world can help start up movements to fix the issues whether through economic or political means. In addition, learning about other cultures and gaining respect for them can help third world countries to gain self-respect and embrace their own traditions rather than trying to westernize. The artists in the film share my view that DIY movements can have a significant impact on a community, and if allowed to grow, an entire society.
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Farmers' Market
The Farmers' Market was roughly organized as depicted above. There were several rows of fresh produce, a section dedicated to pottery, jewelry, and art, a section for politics, and a section of pastries and drinks. Scattered throughout the market were musical groups, ranging from one person to five or six people. The music tended to be indy rock or bluegrass, however, there was one two-person group playing African tribal drums. There were a lot of children playing in the fountain and playing with the tribal drums. Many people sat around the tables or on walls, enjoying a pastry or drink while listening to the drums. The other music groups had small gatherings of people who would listen for a little while then move on to the next group. People crowded the rows almost everywhere except the political action row, which had only a trickle of people. About half of the shoppers came to buy fresh produce or handmade crafts while the other half came to buy a pastry and enjoy the music and the atmosphere of the market.
The Farmers' Market parallels the participatory form of music in that everyone is expected to play a role in the market. The farmers and artists bring their products, the musicians perform, and the shoppers mingle and shop and enjoy the huge gathering of people. All are necessary for the success of the farmers' market. The farmers' market also allows for the exchange of experiences. The consumers learn from the farmers where their food comes from and how it is grown, and the farmers can compare technique with one another. The same sort of exchange of experiences and techniques occurs with the artists and musicians. One man I interviewed described the feeling of the farmers' market as "instant comradery": everyone is open and friendly. The point of the farmers' market is to socialize, meet new people, and share experiences with other people in the community. Therefore, the farmers' market is the equivalent of participatory music because the main goal is social bonding, as opposed to a grocery store (the equivalent of high fidelity music) where the goal is only the sale of products.
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Four Fields of Music
Participatory Music
My first video clip is an example of participatory music. While taken from the movie Hellzapoppin', the scene very clearly depicts a participatory experience. The clip starts out with one man playing the piano. Another joins in on string bass, and more and more join until a small band is jamming to an upbeat jazz song. Then more people join in, taking turns swing dancing(sequential participation) then all dancing at once(simultaneous participation) and clapping in time to the music. This is participatory music because everyone joins in and is expected to join in. There is no audience because it is not a performance--everyone is participating in spite of ability (although all of them are extremely talented in this case). This song has a feathered beginning because everyone joins in at different times.
This field of music is great because everyone is involved, creating a sense of communitas and flow. However, because everyone is expected to join in, the music and dance must be repetitive, without much variation and often the quality of the music suffers because even those with little experience join in (although, again, that is not an issue in the clip).
Everyone is expected to join in for participatory music because the culture values social bonding and a sense of community over the quality of the music or dancing.
Presentational Music
This is a clip of Louis Armstrong performing "Hello Dolly" for a live audience. Armstrong sings and plays trumpet with a band. This is an example of presentational music because there is a distinction between Armstrong and his audience. Armstrong performs and shares his talent with the audience. He may feed off the enthusiasm of the audience, however, the audience does not take part in the music-making.
Presentational music allows artists to demonstrate their skill and express themselves as individuals. Listeners may appreciate the art and perhaps find similarities with the artist and other listeners with common taste in music. On the other hand, presentational music does not allow everyone to participate; it is a showcasing of the talent of one person. This may result in comparisons of the skills of others and feelings of inadequacies.
The artist is expected to perform exceptionally and entertain the audience while the audience is expected to listen rather than participate and appreciate the skill of the artist. This suggests that the culture values virtuosity in individuals, creating celebrities which others are meant to look up to and respect.
High Fidelity
My next clip is a recording of the song "Dancing in the Moonlight" by King Harvest. This is high fidelity music because it is a recording. It keeps a sense of authenticity because it is indexical of a live performance experience. The recording is created as much to share music and ideas as to be sold in order to make money.
High fidelity music allows portability. Participatory and Presentational music can only be enjoyed at certain times in certain places but high fidelity music allows it to be enjoyed in many places. It also allows the artists to profit from the sales of the recordings. The limitation is that this type of music is only a representation of music; it is only a recording, not the actual thing.
High fidelity music is expected to be good quality and with a certain amount of variety to make up for the lack of visuals. High fidelity music is common in capitalist cultures because it emphasizes gaining wealth from the sale of music in a tangible form.
Studio-Audio Music
My final clip is the song "Cinema" by Skrillex. This song, like all dubstep, is studio-audio music. Studio-audio music is often computer generated music that is recorded without the expectation that it can or will be performed live. "Cinema" is mostly computer generated so it can only be performed as a recording.
Studio-audio music can be abstract sonic artwork that can be created by an artist who has complete control over the final product of the song. Because of this, however, there is no social interaction or sense of community.
With studio-audio music, it is expected that it can never be performed live and is abstract, unconnected to the known world. The cultural value of this type of music is that an artist can express him/herself and sell the recordings for a profit.
My first video clip is an example of participatory music. While taken from the movie Hellzapoppin', the scene very clearly depicts a participatory experience. The clip starts out with one man playing the piano. Another joins in on string bass, and more and more join until a small band is jamming to an upbeat jazz song. Then more people join in, taking turns swing dancing(sequential participation) then all dancing at once(simultaneous participation) and clapping in time to the music. This is participatory music because everyone joins in and is expected to join in. There is no audience because it is not a performance--everyone is participating in spite of ability (although all of them are extremely talented in this case). This song has a feathered beginning because everyone joins in at different times.
This field of music is great because everyone is involved, creating a sense of communitas and flow. However, because everyone is expected to join in, the music and dance must be repetitive, without much variation and often the quality of the music suffers because even those with little experience join in (although, again, that is not an issue in the clip).
Everyone is expected to join in for participatory music because the culture values social bonding and a sense of community over the quality of the music or dancing.
Presentational Music
This is a clip of Louis Armstrong performing "Hello Dolly" for a live audience. Armstrong sings and plays trumpet with a band. This is an example of presentational music because there is a distinction between Armstrong and his audience. Armstrong performs and shares his talent with the audience. He may feed off the enthusiasm of the audience, however, the audience does not take part in the music-making.
Presentational music allows artists to demonstrate their skill and express themselves as individuals. Listeners may appreciate the art and perhaps find similarities with the artist and other listeners with common taste in music. On the other hand, presentational music does not allow everyone to participate; it is a showcasing of the talent of one person. This may result in comparisons of the skills of others and feelings of inadequacies.
The artist is expected to perform exceptionally and entertain the audience while the audience is expected to listen rather than participate and appreciate the skill of the artist. This suggests that the culture values virtuosity in individuals, creating celebrities which others are meant to look up to and respect.
High Fidelity
My next clip is a recording of the song "Dancing in the Moonlight" by King Harvest. This is high fidelity music because it is a recording. It keeps a sense of authenticity because it is indexical of a live performance experience. The recording is created as much to share music and ideas as to be sold in order to make money.
High fidelity music allows portability. Participatory and Presentational music can only be enjoyed at certain times in certain places but high fidelity music allows it to be enjoyed in many places. It also allows the artists to profit from the sales of the recordings. The limitation is that this type of music is only a representation of music; it is only a recording, not the actual thing.
High fidelity music is expected to be good quality and with a certain amount of variety to make up for the lack of visuals. High fidelity music is common in capitalist cultures because it emphasizes gaining wealth from the sale of music in a tangible form.
Studio-Audio Music
My final clip is the song "Cinema" by Skrillex. This song, like all dubstep, is studio-audio music. Studio-audio music is often computer generated music that is recorded without the expectation that it can or will be performed live. "Cinema" is mostly computer generated so it can only be performed as a recording.
Studio-audio music can be abstract sonic artwork that can be created by an artist who has complete control over the final product of the song. Because of this, however, there is no social interaction or sense of community.
With studio-audio music, it is expected that it can never be performed live and is abstract, unconnected to the known world. The cultural value of this type of music is that an artist can express him/herself and sell the recordings for a profit.
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Come on Up to the House
The song "Come on Up to the House" by Tom Waits has the ability to change my emotions. At first, I was not particularly fond of Tom Waits because I thought his voice was too gravelly (although I have since changed my opinion) but one day I was feeling particularly stressed and upset when my brother forced me to listen to this song.
The words of the song serve as symbols, indices, and icons. Throughout the song, Tom Waits uses words to create images in the mind of the listener by describing scenes and making references.
Tom Waits opens the song with the lines "Well the moon is broken/ and the sky is cracked." For me, this symbol invoked an index. I sometimes associate the sky and moon(sign) with opportunities(object) because they are often described as limitless and represent the continuation of the universe beyond our knowledge. The icon of a broken moon and a cracked sky, therefore, made me think of lost or wasted opportunities or perhaps the total lack thereof.
However, the very next line is the symbol "Come on Up to the House." This was an index for me because Church, or God(object), is often referred to as a house(sign). This suggested to me that even in the most dire situations, there is still hope and comfort that can be found through Church. However, I also felt the house to be an index of family or loved ones(object). I associate houses, or homes, with loved ones. I often find support from my family and friends so this line comforted(interpretant) me on two levels.
The icon of Tom Wait's voice also adds meaning to the song for me. His voice(sign) is low, rough, and gravelly. The roughness in his voice makes the song seem sincere(object) because it makes him seem as if he has experienced suffering.
Tom Waits alternates descriptions of failed endeavors, heartbreak, and harsh environments with the chorus "Come on Up to the House." In doing this, Waits uses symbols, indices, and icons to acknowledge that life can be difficult at times but there is always hope.
By the time I finished listening to the song, I felt less stressed and comforted(interpretant) by the thoughts invoked by the song of my friends and family(object).
Monday, August 5, 2013
Songprint
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCmUhYSr-e4
My first song is "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay" by Otis Redding. One way I would describe myself is stuck in the past. I love old movies, music, and TV shows. A good amount of the music I listen to is from the 60's, 70's, and 80's. This song, in particular, is one of my favorites because it is so calming and yet soulful at the same time. On the surface, it is about a man relaxing and simply enjoying the scenery of the ocean; however, the song is actually about a man who has fallen on hard times and is lonely and jobless. Despite the underlying melancholy, the song always calms me and makes me put things in perspective. Part of this could be because of the index of the ocean. Every time I see an ocean, or rather think of one, its vastness makes me feel that nothing is as important as it may seem at any given moment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFPSeCeMqOU
My next song is a French song, "Petite Soeur"--Little Sister--by Ben L'Oncle Soul. I'm the baby of my family, with an older brother and all older cousins. I chose this song because of my close relationship with my brother. I look up to my brother and respect him more than anyone else. He is, in part, responsible for my appreciation of music. He has introduced me to hundreds of new songs and artists. The lyrics of the song tell of an older brother looking out for his little sister. The refrain, translates to "I know you by heart" (an older brother singing to his younger sister) so it comforting to listen to the song and think of my brother who would do the same. This song also falls under the genre of soul and is very upbeat and lively and I enjoy listening to it because it puts me in a light-hearted mood. In addition, I love the French language and culture; I plan to minor in French and study abroad there so I thought it appropriate to include a French song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGgznzG5Ygc
Howard Hanson's "Romantic Symphony No. 2" is my favorite classical piece. I played it with an orchestra this past year (I play flute) and experienced flow and communitas while playing it. Every time I listen to or play this piece, I become completely absorbed in the piece. I love the piece itself because it depicts and evokes so many emotions, it being a Romantic symphony. It starts out mysterious, becomes aggressive then dissolves into a love melody before an exultant ending. I find it fascinating that a piece of music is able to encompass so many emotions; it somewhat has the effect of catharsis, the purification of emotion resulting in a sense of renewal, on the listener, and especially on me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HF_oBfItRO0
The final song I chose is a version of "Back Home Again in Indiana" done by Louis Armstrong. I have lived in Indiana my whole life, moving across the street once. I chose this particular version of the song because I love Louis Armstrong. I find his style of jazz to be comforting and cheery. I also enjoy listening to jazz, specifically big band jazz..
My first song is "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay" by Otis Redding. One way I would describe myself is stuck in the past. I love old movies, music, and TV shows. A good amount of the music I listen to is from the 60's, 70's, and 80's. This song, in particular, is one of my favorites because it is so calming and yet soulful at the same time. On the surface, it is about a man relaxing and simply enjoying the scenery of the ocean; however, the song is actually about a man who has fallen on hard times and is lonely and jobless. Despite the underlying melancholy, the song always calms me and makes me put things in perspective. Part of this could be because of the index of the ocean. Every time I see an ocean, or rather think of one, its vastness makes me feel that nothing is as important as it may seem at any given moment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFPSeCeMqOU
My next song is a French song, "Petite Soeur"--Little Sister--by Ben L'Oncle Soul. I'm the baby of my family, with an older brother and all older cousins. I chose this song because of my close relationship with my brother. I look up to my brother and respect him more than anyone else. He is, in part, responsible for my appreciation of music. He has introduced me to hundreds of new songs and artists. The lyrics of the song tell of an older brother looking out for his little sister. The refrain, translates to "I know you by heart" (an older brother singing to his younger sister) so it comforting to listen to the song and think of my brother who would do the same. This song also falls under the genre of soul and is very upbeat and lively and I enjoy listening to it because it puts me in a light-hearted mood. In addition, I love the French language and culture; I plan to minor in French and study abroad there so I thought it appropriate to include a French song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGgznzG5Ygc
Howard Hanson's "Romantic Symphony No. 2" is my favorite classical piece. I played it with an orchestra this past year (I play flute) and experienced flow and communitas while playing it. Every time I listen to or play this piece, I become completely absorbed in the piece. I love the piece itself because it depicts and evokes so many emotions, it being a Romantic symphony. It starts out mysterious, becomes aggressive then dissolves into a love melody before an exultant ending. I find it fascinating that a piece of music is able to encompass so many emotions; it somewhat has the effect of catharsis, the purification of emotion resulting in a sense of renewal, on the listener, and especially on me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HF_oBfItRO0
The final song I chose is a version of "Back Home Again in Indiana" done by Louis Armstrong. I have lived in Indiana my whole life, moving across the street once. I chose this particular version of the song because I love Louis Armstrong. I find his style of jazz to be comforting and cheery. I also enjoy listening to jazz, specifically big band jazz..
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)